MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Greece to reinstate unvaccinated healthcare staff

Plevris said the court ruling was dangerous

Greek healthcare workers sidelined in September 2021 for refusing to take a vaccine against COVID-19 are to be allowed back at their jobs effective Jan. 1, Health Minister Thanos Plevris announced.

In a TV appearance, Plevris said that the Executive will implement a strict protocol for the return of unvaccinated healthcare workers, which will include frequent antigen testing at the workers' expense.

The decision by the conservative government came a few days after the Supreme Court ruled that the measures against unvaccinated healthcare practitioners in April were unconstitutional since they were not based on a new assessment of the epidemiological situation by the Executive.

The public hospital workers' union (POEDIN) had filed an appeal. After the ruling, the only thing yet to be resolved is what will happen to the salaries of the some 7,000 suspended workers who refused to take a coronavirus vaccine.

Some of these workers had gradually returned to their jobs after either surviving COVID-19 or getting vaccinated. According to POEDIN leader Mijalis Yannakos, some 1,700 workers are currently still suspended until Dec. 31.

Plevris admitted that after the Court's decision “the measure will not be extended,” but he insisted the ruling was “dangerous for public health” and spoke of a legal “defeat.”

The Minister also said 2,190 unvaccinated workers were to benefit from the ruling.